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peachani's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Hate crime, Bullying, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Racism, and Cursing
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cultural appropriation, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Kidnapping, Sexual content, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, and Grief
Minor: Blood, Chronic illness, Death, Confinement, Drug abuse, Alcohol, Ableism, Addiction, Classism, Death of parent, and Terminal illness
pagesfromhome's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
When I tell you I flew through this book, I mean I flew through this book. It was perfection. I’m having a hard time even writing a review of it because I just straight up loved it. Askaripour perfectly encapsulates the start up tech industry, his characters are well-developed and easy to love or hate depending on which one it is, and his plot was perfectly timed. Fair warning: There is A LOT that happens in this book. It twists and takes turns that you’ve not really expecting and then makes a few that you’re totally prepared for, which to me is the sign of something being well-written.
I really loved how he developed his characters through their relationships to others and developed the plot then in relationship to those characters. I’m really surprised to hear this is a debut novel because it felt like the writing of someone who has done this many times before.
Honestly just can’t recommend it enough!
I really loved how he developed his characters through their relationships to others and developed the plot then in relationship to those characters. I’m really surprised to hear this is a debut novel because it felt like the writing of someone who has done this many times before.
Honestly just can’t recommend it enough!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Bullying, and Death of parent
lindsloveslit's review against another edition
challenging
dark
1.5
I don't know if this was hard to get through because I didn't like it, because of the use of the r-word, or because I was in somewhat of a book hangover after a five star read. 🤷🏽♀️ I do, however, know that it was not for me. 🙅🏽♀️
I thought I was going to get "The Office" like satire, but there was no point in time where I laughed. Instead, I was hit with microagressions and white supremacy that were believable and exhausting.
To add, I vehemently disliked the use of the r-word. I KNOW it was because the character was a racist, sexist, ableist P.O.S. but in my opinion, it is never okay. There is never a right time for it. 🙅🏽♀️ It also felt like a self help book to me, and unless they're research based - I'm not interested in those either. Lastly, mental health is important to me (I couldn't have gotten through 2020 or 2021 without my therapist) and I feel like this book made light of it.
I thought I was going to get "The Office" like satire, but there was no point in time where I laughed. Instead, I was hit with microagressions and white supremacy that were believable and exhausting.
To add, I vehemently disliked the use of the r-word. I KNOW it was because the character was a racist, sexist, ableist P.O.S. but in my opinion, it is never okay. There is never a right time for it. 🙅🏽♀️ It also felt like a self help book to me, and unless they're research based - I'm not interested in those either. Lastly, mental health is important to me (I couldn't have gotten through 2020 or 2021 without my therapist) and I feel like this book made light of it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Death of parent, Racial slurs, Ableism, Cancer, and Racism
fongyay's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
What a wild ride this was. I devoured it quickly but it was also brutal to read at times, watching a train wreck kind of vibe. The first sections were utterly riveting and the later ones less so, but I was invested enough in the plot by then to keep going.
Suggested song pairing: Flying Monkeys by Jay Stone
Suggested song pairing: Flying Monkeys by Jay Stone
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Death of parent, Racism, Torture, Violence, Cancer, and Cultural appropriation
Moderate: Ableism, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Homophobia
tmoore65's review against another edition
funny
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I really liked the first and second sections of the novel, I felt like the criticism and satire about corporate America and start up culture was really clear and funny. I definitely was able to appreciate it considering I recently started my first corporate job. But, then as the book progressed there were aspects that were just so sad and hard to read. It was physically painful to read the parts where Darren/Buck was acting like a traditional tech bro and growing apart from his friends and family. Then by the time Darren/Buck started the Happy Campers, it just felt like too little too late. He had been super horrible to everybody he knew for almost a whole year and only started acting like a decent person for the last couple of chapters, like I'm glad he got a redemption arc but it was still frustrating especially since this change in character was very sudden. But, I feel like most of my frustrations with this book are towards the white characters and how none of them change or get better, but I also feel like that's one of the most realistic parts of the novel so really my frustrations are with society and not the book itself. I really liked the style of the book, at times it reminded me of a self-help/memoir crossover which I think really suited the story especially when Darren/Buck would break the fourth wall and address the reader. Definitely a fresh and fun take on the corporate world and what it's like being a minority in that space. I know the author said his next book wouldn't be anything like this but I'm still excited to read whatever he puts out next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Cursing
Moderate: Bullying, Torture, and Death of parent
thenovelmaura's review
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book had an excellent narrator and as someone who works in tech, I appreciated its satirical take on toxic, racist startup and sales culture. It was painful to listen to at times, which is what makes it so cutting and effective.
On the flip side, the narrative itself was really drawn out (I wasn't always sure where the story was going or why I was still listening to it) and then Darren's character development pretty much came out of nowhere. He never really seemed to learn his lesson; just woke up one day and decided to change. I think this book is great in the sense that it could (and probably already has) kickstart conversations about the lack of diversity and accountability in the tech space, but it did lack the finesse to really drive those points home.
On the flip side, the narrative itself was really drawn out (I wasn't always sure where the story was going or why I was still listening to it) and then Darren's character development pretty much came out of nowhere. He never really seemed to learn his lesson; just woke up one day and decided to change. I think this book is great in the sense that it could (and probably already has) kickstart conversations about the lack of diversity and accountability in the tech space, but it did lack the finesse to really drive those points home.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, and Death of parent
Moderate: Alcohol and Drug use
acoffeeandagoodbook's review against another edition
challenging
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Holy shit, this book. Black Buck is not at all what I expected, in the best possible way. At first, I wasn't sure it was for me, but as soon as Buck crossed the threshold of start-up tech company, Sumwun, I was sucked in.
Anyone who's worked in a ridiculous start-up will recognise Sumwun. The almost cult-like atmosphere, the chaos, the firm belief that what you're doing is somehow different and special, when really, all these companies are pretty much the same. For Buck, this insidious creep of corporate bullshit is accompanied by an atmosphere of casual racism, that he is forced to excuse if wants to get ahead. The running joke throughout the novel of white people telling Buck he looks exactly like a different famous black man is both smart and funny, and does a brilliant job of showing the daily drip of the racism from his colleagues.
The pace rattles along, and I really struggled to put the book down. In fact, I ended up blasting through it in a day. As Buck inevitably begins to become enamoured by the cult of Sumwun, the money, and his charismatic boss, I almost felt like I was watching a car crash in slow motion. You know the fall is coming, but there's nothing you can do to stop it.
And when the fall comes...wow. As the novel draws to a close, things ramp up to an unhinged level. The turns the story takes towards the end are not so much plot twists and hard swerves into a completely different place. Some of these twists and turns did stretch my credulousness a little, but the novel is satirical, so it's no surprise that it's over the top in places.
This book is smart, funny, and fast-paced. It's a hell of a read.
Anyone who's worked in a ridiculous start-up will recognise Sumwun. The almost cult-like atmosphere, the chaos, the firm belief that what you're doing is somehow different and special, when really, all these companies are pretty much the same. For Buck, this insidious creep of corporate bullshit is accompanied by an atmosphere of casual racism, that he is forced to excuse if wants to get ahead. The running joke throughout the novel of white people telling Buck he looks exactly like a different famous black man is both smart and funny, and does a brilliant job of showing the daily drip of the racism from his colleagues.
The pace rattles along, and I really struggled to put the book down. In fact, I ended up blasting through it in a day. As Buck inevitably begins to become enamoured by the cult of Sumwun, the money, and his charismatic boss, I almost felt like I was watching a car crash in slow motion. You know the fall is coming, but there's nothing you can do to stop it.
And when the fall comes...wow. As the novel draws to a close, things ramp up to an unhinged level. The turns the story takes towards the end are not so much plot twists and hard swerves into a completely different place. Some of these twists and turns did stretch my credulousness a little, but the novel is satirical, so it's no surprise that it's over the top in places.
This book is smart, funny, and fast-paced. It's a hell of a read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Violence, Alcohol, Drug use, and Torture
divaninoor's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Cursing, Racism, and Bullying
Moderate: Torture
faythd's review
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Drug use
ecn's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It felt like a more real life version of Sorry to Bother You - like almost exactly. It was a good story but because of how similar it was to the movie, I kept thinking or wishing for something big and crazy to happen. A fun read but probably would have been better if you didn’t see the movie.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Violence, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Sexual content, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Alcohol, Blood, Cancer, and Drug abuse